Beauregard Parish School Board approves budget revision, job-description changes, discipline and hybrid calendars

The Beauregard Parish School Board on March 13 approved a series of motions including a budget revision, new and revised job descriptions, updates to the student handbook discipline provisions and dress code, and the adoption of 4-day and 5-day hybrid calendars for the 2025–26 school year.

Why it matters: The votes authorize staffing changes and policy updates that the superintendent said are intended to strengthen classroom support, maintenance operations and student safety across the parish’s schools.

Votes at a glance - Minutes of the Feb. 13, 2025 regular meeting — Approved. Motion by Mister Arshild; second by Mister Kibito. Mister Bowman abstained. - Budget revision No. 1 for FY2025 — Approved. Motion by Mister Redler; second by Mister Kibito. - Job descriptions (director of federal programs rename, new curriculum coordinator, new maintenance coordinator) — Approved as presented after discussion and clarifications. - Discipline policy revisions (student handbook: add “digital” harassment category; add a fifth-occurrence penalty for electronic device violations leading to indefinite out-of-school suspension pending a hearing; change some deliberate-injury language to 3 days to indefinite OSS pending hearing/possible expulsion) — Approved. - Dress code updates (allow black as an approved school color pre-K–12; permit walking shorts in approved colors and blue denim for elementary grades) — Approved (committee vote 17–0; board vote recorded as aye). - Carver location amendment to current agreement (additional $259.80 per month) — Approved. - Policy-file revisions (file DIC inventories/waiting period; revision file JCDAE electronic devices and waiver of waiting period) — Approved. - Adoption of 4-day and 5-day hybrid calendars for 2025–26 with requested adjustments — Approved after board discussion.

Details and context - Budget: The board considered and approved Budget Revision No. 1 for fiscal year 2025 after the superintendent asked for any questions; a motion to approve was made by Mister Redler and seconded by Mister Kibito.

- Job descriptions: The board voted to approve three job descriptions. The director of federal programs is a renaming of the existing director of Title I position to reflect that the position manages multiple federal programs. The board also approved a new curriculum coordinator position (described as a school-level teacher-leader role, intended to support curriculum and coaching across campuses) and a maintenance coordinator role that would combine site maintenance oversight with career-technical teaching responsibilities in some cases. Board members raised questions about staffing costs, hiring processes, reporting lines and the plan to phase in curriculum coordinators as a trial at selected campuses.

- Discipline and dress code: The discipline committee recommended changes to the student handbook that add the word “digital” to the harassment categories and create an additional, fifth-occurrence consequence for electronic-device violations: indefinite out-of-school suspension pending a hearing with the superintendent or designee to consider alternate placement. The committee also proposed that deliberate acts causing puncture, bleeding or other injury move from a fixed 3-day OSS to a 3 days-to-indefinite OSS range pending a hearing, allowing the superintendent or designee to consider alternate placement or expulsion in more severe cases. The board also approved extending black as an approved uniform color parish-wide and permitting walking shorts in approved colors and blue denim for elementary students; the committee vote on the dress-code items was 17–0.

- Calendars: After extended discussion and requests for more time from some board members and teachers, the board adopted two calendar options — a 4-day and a 5-day hybrid — for 2025–26, including adjustments discussed at the meeting (for example, Mardi Gras scheduling and start/end dates). Several board members said they want to refine the committee process next year to ensure broader and earlier input from teachers and principals.

What the votes do not do - The board did not finalize detailed staffing hires or start dates on the new positions at the meeting; the superintendent said she would not move forward with hiring until staffing levels and budget impacts were confirmed.

Meeting process and attendance notes - The meeting opened with a student-led prayer and pledge. The superintendent’s report included a student achievements section and a February activities summary.

Quotes (selected) - “We’re not creating. We’re just renaming it,” the superintendent said of the director of federal programs position. - On curriculum coordinators: “This would be someone who is a veteran teacher, who knows the curriculum, and who has the aptitude to go in and assist and to help.”

Votes recorded in the meeting transcript were by voice; in several items board members answered “aye” with no opposing votes recorded in the transcript. One abstention (Bowman) was recorded on the minutes approval.